LG&E and KU team with customers to raise $440,000 for heating assistance programs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2014) – Residential customers across the Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities companies’ service territories have stepped up in a big way to help their fellow neighbors, breaking previous heating assistance donation records and helping even more community members this winter.

Coupled with the utilities’ year-round donation matches and increased match of $2 for every $1 donated by customers since October 2013, LG&E and KU customers and the utilities contributed more than $440,000 in 2013 toward the utilities’ heating assistance programs.

The LG&E Community Winterhelp, KU WinterCare Energy Assistance Fund and WinterShare Fund offered by Old Dominion Power, the name under which KU operates in Virginia, are operated by area third-party nonprofit organizations. The programs assist families in dire financial situations who lack resources, leaving a family with no heat or the immediate prospect of no heat; and families with a family member who is elderly, very young, seriously ill or disabled. The utilities play no part in determining eligibility; families in need of assistance are interviewed by the third-party nonprofit organizations.

In December alone, customers donated nearly $27,000, setting a new five-year, all-time donation record for a single month. From November to December, donations were up nearly 62 percent among LG&E customers and more than doubled among KU customers.

When comparing December’s results to the same time period one year ago, donations were up nearly 47 percent among LG&E customers and up nearly 45 percent among KU customers.

The utilities’ increased assistance will continue through March 31, 2014 — matching $2 for every $1 donated by residential customers to the utilities’ heating assistance programs.

“Our customers’ generosity is staggering, and we couldn’t be more proud to share these results,” said John P. Malloy, vice president of customer services for LG&E and KU. “Doubling our customers’ donations gives us the ability to stretch our customers’ generosity even further, providing greater access to assistance funds and helping more community members this winter who may be struggling to pay their heating bills.”

Over the last five years, customer donations and the utilities’ matching funds have raised more than $1.7 million, with nearly $975,000 of that donated by the utilities.